Raiders' Allen: Charles Woodson brings a swagger to Oakland

ALAMEDA -- The excitement caused by the arrival of Charles Woodson on Tuesday wasn't limited to the outside of the building.

Woodson's return to the place where he began his NFL career sent a surge of adrenaline through the inside of the facility as well, Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Wednesday.

"He has his ideals and his thought process and he's not afraid to express his opinion," Allen told the Bay Area News Group. "We sat down and had a great conversation together and I'm looking forward to getting a guy in here like that who can bring that added dimension to the team."

Allen pointed to Woodson's 55 career interceptions, 11 of which have been returned for touchdowns. He also pointed to the leadership skills that emerged when his career ascended in Green Bay after signing as a free agent for the 2006 season.

"You see the talent and the player, but when you combine that with the maturation process he's gone through, he's a real pro," Allen said. "It was evident in visiting with him that he wanted to be a Raider. He wanted to be a part of what we're doing here. When you bring in a guy with those attributes, those leadership abilities, it was a good fit."

Woodson's influence, Allen believes, goes further than the defensive side of the ball.

"You want to play this game with a swagger, with a little bit of an air of confidence," Allen said. "Charles . . . he's got that swagger and I think he can bring some of that to our team -- not just defensively, but to the whole team in general."

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One thing the Raiders are not concerned about is Woodson's health. In two of the last three seasons, Woodson has broken his right collarbone -- once in Super Bowl XLV and again last season, causing him to miss the last six regular-season games.

"That was one of the things we wanted to make sure of when we brought Charles in here," Allen said. "We wanted to make sure everything was fine and he was healthy, and from a medical standpoint we didn't have any issue with it."

Allen, who paused for autographs when his car was surrounded by delirious Raider fans who waited all day for Woodson's signing to come to fruition, expected a more quiet departure Wednesday.

"It was a great scene," Allen said. "We wanted to give them something to be happy about, and I think Charles is a great addition in our movement that way."

Woodson, expected to play free safety with the Raiders, departed Wednesday morning for Florida and the club was in the process of arranging a conference call for the local media.